


One For Sorrow

by barricadebastard



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Angst, Anniversary, Fluff, M/M, Magpies, Marriage, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Superstition, its just various scenes for each number of magpies, not nearly as magical as the summary implies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-08-18 20:47:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8175652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barricadebastard/pseuds/barricadebastard
Summary: ‘One for sorrow, two for joy. Three for a girl, four for a boy. Five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told.’This is the rhyme that tells the meanings of differing numbers of magpies. This is something more than an old wives' tale or superstition. This is a story of Hercules’ and Aaron’s relationship.





	1. Seven For A Secret, Never To Be Told

**Author's Note:**

> i've been working on this for way too fucking long, so i've decided to post it anyway, despite the fact i've only done seven, six, five and four magpies. 
> 
> but yeah, i think this is just used in england, but different numbers of magpies mean different things. you also gotta greet a lone magpie, or else you'll have sorrow inflicted on you. probably IS just superstition, but me and my sister like to joke around about it and wave at magpies on the street, because we're losers
> 
> starting backwards from seven!

Aaron was an artist. He loved to draw, loved the process of watching blank canvas bloom to life, loved each careful stroke of a brush that was one stroke closer to creating something out of nothing. He loved it. He had almost chosen art as his major in college, before deciding on law at the last minute. 

One thing he  _ didn’t  _ love, was creative block.

He was staring now at his sketchbook, frowning at his complete loss as to what he should draw. The empty page had been glaring up at him for the past hour, mocking him with its smooth blankness. 

He could draw a bowl of fruits, or perhaps a single, sliced pomegranate, or maybe the sky from the view of his window, but those didn’t mean anything. Those were the drawings he would show to people who wanted a sneak peek at his sketchbook. Those were the ‘art’ he would hand in at highschool when he didn’t want the teacher to catch a glimpse of his heart. He didn’t care about those. Right now, he wanted to draw anything that meant  _ something  _ to him.

He sat there for a while, the sun shining down to warm his face as he squinted against the sunlight, mind drifting freely. The bark of the tree he was leaning on was rough and kept snatching at the material of his shirt, and he thought he could feel a bit of dampness seeping into his jeans from the grass, but none of that mattered because  _ he had found what he was going to draw.  _

There, standing feet away, was Hercules Mulligan. Aaron hesitated to call his feelings a ‘crush’, but… well, it kind of  _ was.  _ Hercules was broad and dark, with a grin that could light up a room in seconds and arms were perfectly drool-worthy. He was laidback in a way that not many people were in college, and Aaron had never seen him stressed; a feat, considering the fact that Aaron had always thought doing a business major was a suicidal move. 

He was, simply put, ridiculously attractive.

Sometimes, it annoyed Aaron. What right did this man have, strolling around campus and distracting half the students with his good looks? It wasn’t fair. Aaron didn’t ask for this. All he wanted was to get good grades and graduate, not be subjected to such atrocious levels of beauty. How the hell was he supposed to concentrate on his work if, every time Alex bounded over to yell about some project or other, Hercules would tag along, smiling fondly at his friend and shooting sympathetic glances that made Aaron’s heart melt into a pathetic goo? 

So he drew Hercules Mulligan.

He knew it was a bad idea. It wasn’t going to help him get over his stupid crush, but he couldn’t help it. His hand moved of his own accord, and later he would curse the effect Hercules had on his previously impeccable self-control, and soon, the next three pages were filled with portraits of Hercules. In the first one, he was seated at the canteen with a blurred Lafayette, laughing brightly at something someone had said. In the next, he was writing notes at a desk, brow furrowed in concentration and tongue poking out. Then there were smaller sketches, of different expressions and lightings, what he’d look like with glasses, his beanie, his scarf, etc.

So maybe he had gotten a little carried away. It didn’t matter. And  _ maybe,  _ Hercules would be totally creeped out if he saw how much Aaron had drawn him. No matter. There was no need for him to know.

He carefully ripped the pages out, sparing them one last lingering glance, before ripping them into small squares and throwing them in the nearest bin.

Hercules would never know.


	2. Six For Gold

Many people remember their wedding ceremony as the most important milestone with their significant other. Hercules expected to do the same. But frankly, the wedding was something of a mess. Aaron didn’t have any family to invite, but Hercules’ entire extended family from his father’s side had travelled from various parts of the world for the event. His grandmother had promised to try and reign their family members in, but nevertheless, it had ended up with arguments and enough drama for Alex to thrive off. Not to mention the sheer number of friends they had made throughout their college life and adult years, which seemed to make up for any of Aaron’s missing family members. The combination of too many people drinking too many shots had meant that both Hercules and Aaron were rather stressed, pulling people down from tables and trying to make sure no one was puking on anyone else.

It’s the wedding night, not the ceremony, that Hercules remembers with such fondness that it feels like his heart is too full, like he can’t handle the sheer amount of love that fills his chest. They had laid down on their bed, exhausted yet happy, as they recounted the events of the day.

“Oh god, did you see Lee’s face when Lafayette puked on his shoes?” 

and 

“You know Teddy wasn’t  _ really  _ going to the bathroom? She snuck off to make out with Angelica.” 

and 

“Honestly, I don’t know why I’m surprised that Laurens got drunk off his ass. It’s not like him to restrain himself.”

Hercules laughed. John had been on his best behaviour throughout most of the ceremony - a surprising feat for the man - but Hercules knew him far better than Aaron, and had been expecting him to lose control sometime before the night ended. Sure enough, John had gotten progressively drunker and drunker, and ended up on the table, shrieking a painfully high-pitched rendition of some musical or other.

“I’ve learnt not to expect too much from him,” Hercules said, smiling fondly.

They remained in amiable silence for a while, staring up at the ceiling. The day had been draining, with the exhilaration and anxiety of the realisation that they were  _ married,  _ as well as their exasperation with the guests. Even college didn’t prepare Hercules for how tired he was that night, and he was half asleep when Aaron turned around to face him, lips pulled into a frown.

“Do you wish all our parents were here?” 

Hercules pondered over the question. His memory of his mother was weak, and he wasn’t sure how much he had truly remembered and how much his brain had invented to fill the blanks. He had no idea if she would have been disapproving of, maybe even disgusted by, gay marriage, no matter how much he wished she would have approved. 

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “I’m glad that my father’s side of the family could make it, but… well, I don’t remember my mother well enough to know if I want her here or not.” 

Aaron nodded. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Still… I wish my parents could see us, and how far we came.” 

They fell silent again. Aaron’s gaze had turned thoughtful, and his obvious difficulty keeping his eyes open told Hercules that he was just as exhausted as he was. His cheek, Hercules noted, was squished against the pillow, curving the corner of his lip up against his will. It was rather adorable, and Hercules couldn’t pass up the opportunity to shuffle an inch closer and press a soft kiss against those soft lips.

“I love you,” Hercules said. After all, what was the point of getting married if he couldn’t announce that simple yet all-important statement whenever he wanted?

A slow smile curled Aaron’s lips, his eyes fluttering shut. “I love you too.” A pause. “Babe, we’re  _ married.”  _

Hercules tried to quell the fond chuckles that rose up his chest, but he couldn’t stifle the large grin he was sporting. Aaron sounded so awed by his own statement, as he stretched his hand out to admire the ring on his finger. Hercules rested his own hand next to Aaron’s. The gold bands glinted, catching the artificial light of the room; a single piece of jewellery that symbolised everything about them, from the soft, sweet kisses, to the explosive arguments, and everything in between.

From the view of their window, they could see a tiding of magpies, perches on the branches of one of the tallest trees.

“Yeah,” Hercules agreed, thanking any and all deities for the blessing that was Aaron Mulligan-Burr. “We’re married.”


	3. Five For Silver

“Wake up.”

Hercules groaned into his pillow, trying to shield himself from the glaring light as the curtains were yanked open. “Aaron. Babe. Sweetie. Love of my life. It's the devil's asscrack of dawn, let me  _ sleep." _

There was a laugh, and then the pillow he had been burying his face into was pried away from him. “You forgot, didn't you?” 

Hercules wrapped his arms around the blanket instead, clutching it protectively to his chest as he squinted at his husband. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and he still hadn’t had the opportunity to properly wake up. He blinked blearily at Aaron, nose scrunching up as he tried to recall the date.

“Shit, it’s our  _ anniversary!”  _

Aaron laughed again, before taking hold of one corner of the blanket and ripping it out of Hercules’s grasp unceremoniously. “Yes, it is, and we’ve got a date we’re going to be late for if you don’t get up now.” 

Hercules didn’t need any more prompting, leaping out of the bed to bound to the bathroom, Aaron watching him with an amused smile. He brushed his teeth in record time, grinning goofily at his reflection as he tried to guess what Aaron had planned. Something romantic, definitely, but not too sappy. Aaron wasn’t the type to take someone out to any old restaurant for their first anniversary. Probably something that was uniquely tied to them and their relationship.

When he returned, now freshened up, Aaron was sitting on the edge of a bed, scrolling through his phone. He was wearing one of Hercules' favourite button-ups, different shades of grey and the occasional grey criss-crossing each other on the fabric. 

“I don't think I've seen you move that fast since that time you were chased by that herd of goats,” Aaron said, without looking up from his screen. 

Boy, that was one memory Hercules didn't want to be reminded of. They had gone on holiday to Kenya a couple of months ago, and it had been his first time seeing goats. One of the locals had demonstrated how to call a goat over. However, said local only spoke in Swahili, and Hercules could only say 'hello' and 'tomato', so there had been... something of a misunderstanding, that had ended with Hercules sprinting down the streets, being chased by every goat in the herd.

“No, that's fine, just go ahead and make fun of my traumatic experiences,” Hercules said dramatically, sitting heavily and pouting when Aaron shot him an amused look. “It's not like you ever loved me.”

Aaron's laugh was more beautiful than any music Hercules had had the pleasure of listening to. It was amazing that, three years of marriage and seven years in total of their friendship, he could still be awed by Aaron's beauty. 

The man in question leaned over to press a quick kiss against Hercules' cheek. “You know I love you with all my heart.”

Hercules was reminded suddenly of something he had been meaning to do. He had gotten Aaron a small present for their third anniversary, and had kept it hidden in the furthest corner of his sock drawer. He had bought it with the intention of giving it to Aaron sometime in the middle of the day, but now was as good time as any. The quiet seclusion of their bedroom seemed more infinite than giving him in public.

So, instead of replying, he said, “Wait here,” and began rummaging through the drawer. 

“You better have a good reason for not telling me you love me back,” Aaron said, sounding amused. “What are you looking for?”

Hercules pulled the same box out triumphantly. 

“Is this a second proposal?” Aaron said teasingly, hand on his chest in mock-surprise. Hercules wasn't fooled; he knew, if he touched Aaron's cheeks, they'd be burning hot. 

“Close enough,” Hercules replied, opening the little jewellery box to reveal a delicate silver chain. He removed it carefully, set the box aside, and then held his hand out. Aaron, taking the hint, laid his hand on Hercules’ own. There was a moment of difficulty when Hercules fastened it, but when Aaron drew back finally, the silver bracelet was decorating his wrist, gleaming in the light.

“It's bought from the same shop I got the engagement rings from,” Hercules told him, watching his reaction carefully. Aaron hadn't mentioned anything about liking silver, but the simplicity of its beauty had drawn Hercules to the bracelet. He noted, perhaps a little late, that he should have asked Aaron about how he felt about silver jewellery  _ before _ he bought it.

“It's gorgeous,” Aaron breathed, looking awed as he admired the way the silver contrasted his skin. “I love it.”

“And I love  _ you,”  _ Hercules said.

Aaron's plan for the day had been visiting an art gallery. It wasn't a big one, but Hercules loved it. Hercules had always been interested in art; he found it fascinating that people could manipulate paint into even strokes, when  _ he  _ couldn't even draw a circle without the result being watery and pathetic. He wasn't sure if this fascination had begun before or after dating Aaron, but watching the man press brush to canvas everyday with a look of perfect concentration had probably helped him appreciate it more.

Half way through, Aaron's hand entangled itself in Hercules' sleeve, and he murmured, “I have a surprise,” before tugging Hercules away from the painting he had been admiring. 

The surprise had been another painting, or, more specifically, the little signature in the corner of the painting. 

A.Burr.

It was gorgeous, just like all of his other paintings. It was of a dark-skinned man on a horse, regal and posture sharp as he stared directly at the looker. It was clearly meant to be Hercules, though he was sure that Aaron had dramatized his attractiveness. Around him, dead bodies wearing the same blue uniform were scattered around the ground, the crimson blood a sharp contrast on their coats. It was devastating, and Hercules felt a sharp stab of pain for the man in the picture… who was  _ him,  _ God, that was difficult to process.

“You sent your own works?” Hercules said after moment of awed silence. Aaron had always refused to publish his own paintings, had always felt self-conscious about how much of his soul they revealed to people he'd never speak to. “You… you drew  _ me?”  _

“If there's one thing I'm not afraid of sharing with the rest of the world, it's you,” Aaron said softly, and they kissed in front of the painting, uncaring of the numerous people milling behind them.

They ate at a small restaurant, fed the ducks, strolled down the river, and finally, the day finished with a picnic at the park. The two of them sat on their too-small blanket, exchanging kisses and bites of food as they watched the sun go down, casting pastel shades of pink, orange and purple across the sky. 

If they had looked up at the tree they were sitting under, they would have seen a little nest holding baby magpies. Five magpies, to be exact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is so unnecessarily long wtf
> 
> fun fact: i, too, have been chased by goats in kenya. i can't even say it was because of the language barrier, because i understood fully well.


	4. Four For A Boy

It was eight in the evening, and Hercules still wasn't home. Aaron was sitting at the kitchen table, staring blankly at the wall. His hands were curled around a glass of orange juice he'd been holding for almost an hour without drinking. His mind was running into overdrive, and he _hated_ it. He hated the numerous scenarios running through his head, hated the way he was suddenly over-thinking every action and word, hated that he couldn't just _trust_ Hercules and disregard the matter.

His hands tightened around the glass. Three hours. Hercules was three hours late from work, with not even a text to alleviate Aaron's worries. Once would have been dismissible, but this had been happening regularly for over a month now.

Almost every day, Hercules would come home far later than expected, with some sort of excuse on the tip of his tongue. This could be anything from 'the boss wanted some extra work' to 'ran into an old friend, we got carried away’. But usually, almost always, it was 'hitting the bar with Laf'.

Aaron was _tired._

There was the sound of keys, then the doorknob turning, and, lo and behold, Hercules walked in, calling out, “Honey, I'm home!” teasingly, as though he wasn't three hours late.

Aaron didn't answer, eyes still blankly fixed on the wall.

There were footsteps, and then Hercules was strolling into the kitchen. Out of the corner of his eye, Aaron saw him look taken-back.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Hercules asked, moving slowly as though Aaron was a skittish wild animal. His hand rested on his shoulder, and his thumb began to rub soothing circles into his skin.

Aaron was going to cry. They hadn't even begun the conversation and he was already going to cry. He couldn't do this. This was _Hercules,_ for god's sake, the number one blessing in his life. He didn't want to believe that he was cheating. He _couldn't_ believe it. Part of him wanted to skip the entire conversation and live in blissful ignorance, but how blissful would that be when he still had his suspicions?

“I'm fine,” Aaron said, brushing Hercules' hand away. Blinking away the tears that threatened to spill, he finally turned to look Hercules in the eye. “Are you… are you cheating on me?”

Hercules looked shocked, far too shocked for someone who had been home late almost every day of the month. Did he not expect Aaron to come to that conclusion? Either he was cheating, and he thought Aaron would be too dumb to realise, or he wasn't cheating and hadn't even considered the option.

Aaron prayed it was the second one.

“Why would you ask that?” Hercules said, sounding distraught. “You _know_ I love y-”

“Hercules, _please,”_ Aaron interrupted, squeezing his eyes shut as though that would stop him from hearing Hercules’ words. He couldn’t listen to him talk about how much he loved him when he was clearly hiding something. It hurt too much. “Please, just… Answer the question.”

“No,” Hercules said firmly. Aaron opened his eyes slowly, trying to quell the blooming hope in his chest. “I’m not cheating on you. I never would.”

“Then why do you come home late every day? And why do you lie about where you are?”

“It’s not _every_ day-” Hercules tried to argue but Aaron cut him off.

“But that doesn’t mean _anything._ Almost every day, you’re off somewhere else,

“Please, please, tell me you’re not cheating,” Aaron said quietly, voice breaking. “Please tell me I misread this.”  

Hercules leaned forward, placed a careful hand on Aaron’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “I’m not cheating on you. I promise. I just wanted to plan a surprise for you.”

“What kind of surprise needs you to stay behind almost every day?” Aaron grumbled, glaring at the table sullenly. It was no use. His heart wanted to believe Hercules so much that, no matter how unrealistic his excuse was, he was already halfway to believing it. God, he hated that. He had always prided himself on his impartiality and objectivity, but he had no idea how to practise these virtues with Hercules.

Hercules hesitated. “I didn’t want to tell you but… I’ve been trying to learn more about... ethnic stuff.”

Aaron frowned, looking up again. “What?”

Hercules’ gaze dropped to the ground as soon as Aaron made eye-contact. “Well, you always seemed a little upset about not being as, you know, _connected_ with your culture, so I was learning more about Ethiopian food and stuff.”

Aaron couldn’t believe it. Yes, not knowing his culture had bothered him a lot, but he’d never gone into detail about it with Hercules. Certainly not enough for him to take the initiative to make him learn more about it himself. Did Hercules really know him that well? His heart felt like it was swelling to thrice its usual size, pushing against his ribcage and choking him.

“It’s okay if you don’t believe me,” Hercules hurried to add, “I get it, it was suspicious as hell, and I really should have thought about it more, but I can get the guy who was helping me to prove it. It's just, I know you're upset about not knowing your biological parents and their culture, and I wanted to help in any way I could. I got a little carried away. I shouldn't have done it so often.”  

Hercules was going to be the death of him, especially with the way his eyes kept dropping to the floor sheepishly and glancing up with the most ridiculous and adorable puppy eyes in all of history. And sure, later Aaron would probably have to check with this guy who was helping him.

“What did you learn?” Aaron asked, a small smile stretching on his face. Hercules lit up, and Aaron lost himself in his eyes as the bigger man rambled on about making injera and azifa, struggling through the few Amharic words he learnt and excitedly telling him about a shirt he had made. His pronunciation wasn’t perfect, but his enthusiasm and determination was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried!!!! i tried so hard to make aaron somali, because i really need to start accepting my ethnicity more, but my brain was just "no, you cant make him somali wtf whats wrong w/ u thats weird" and honestly!!! i hate that i cant headcanon characters as somali, it pisses me off that i hate myself?? but i made him ethiopian, which is the next best thing (nearby country, similar food, lots of somali people in ethiopia, etc)
> 
> btw the 'boy' is laf, because aaron thought he was cheating


	5. Three For A Girl

“She’s gorgeous,” Hercules breathed.

He wasn’t wrong. Aaron had never been the type to lose all rationality at the sight of a baby, but this might just be an exception. Theodosia Jr is indeed beautiful, with large doe eyes and tiny curls and a bright smile. Aaron’s relationship with Hercules had never been lacking, but he feels closer than ever before now, as they watch in awe as their daughter toddles through her first step. She's just over a year old, and ever so slightly late to begin walking (something that had made Aaron go into a frenzy), but it was worth the wait to see her stand, unsteadily attempting to make her way across the room.

“She is,” Aaron agreed, and he could feel his throat choking up. He didn't want to cry, but this moment is a sign of how far they've come. Theo’s face was screwed up in concentration as her entire body swayed, one foot slowly moving out.

Hercules held out his arms. “Come on, sweetie,” he coaxed encouragingly. “You can do it, come on…”

Theo glanced up and saw Hercules' outstretched arms. The sight made her grin, and the sight of _her_ looking so happy made the two fathers bite back coos. Theo continued to stumble and, slowly and painstakingly, made her way towards Hercules.

She fell two steps later. It's not a surprise; Aaron didn't expect her to perfectly master the act of walking in seconds, but he still gasped loudly, rushing forward to pick her up. Theo seemed mostly unfazed on her part, though perhaps a little startled, as she smiles sweetly at Aaron. He swoops down to pick her up, resting her on his hip and bouncing her gently.

“You poor thing,” he murmured, tracing her cheek with a finger. If he'd been told that, one day, he would be reduced to mindless baby babbling, he would have laughed harder than he ever has in all thirty years of his existence. And yet here he is. “Poor little baby, did that hurt? Aw, I'm sure it did. Was the floor being mean to you?”

“Was _gravity_ being mean to you?” Hercules asked knowingly. Aaron couldn't help a snort, but Theo twittered in agreement, clapping her hands and nodding her head. “I knew it, sweetheart. Shall I fight gravity for you?”

Aaron was laughing now, the force of his chuckles making both him and Theo shake. She seemed to catch onto the light atmosphere and began to giggle too. Her eyes scrunched up adorably, and her two teeth were on display. Aaron fell in love a little more.

“Daddy will fight gravity for you,” Aaron promised, still grinning. They sounded ridiculous, frankly, and he'd die of embarrassment if anyone heard him talking like this, but it doesn't matter now because this is _family._ “And I'll fight the floor.” He ignored Hercules' protest of being left with the difficult enemy, and continued. “Don't worry, we'll make the world safe and sound for you, love.”

Hercules stood up and walked over to where Aaron and Theo were. He wrapped an arm around Aaron's waist, although it’s slightly awkward thanks to the child currently squirming on his hip, and leaned over to press a kiss to Theo's forehead. “Even if it takes a million mistakes.”

“The first one would probably be trying to fight gravity,” Aaron told him. Hercules stuck his tongue out, because he was clearly a mature adult.

Theo babbled again, a string of noises that sound part English and part nonsense. As she speaks, she stared pointedly at Aaron as though expecting him to understand what she's saying. Aaron looked to Hercules for help, bewildered.

“She's saying that our first mistake was being born into this world,” Hercules said seriously. Aaron freed an arm to slap his bicep lightly, laughing. Theo laughed too, although it’s obvious that she doesn’t understand what they’re saying.

“Don’t bring our daughter up with that pessimistic attitude,” Aaron chided, moving to sit on the couch. Theo was getting bigger every day, and his arms were aching with the effort of holding her up and jiggling her slightly whenever she got restless. He set her down on the floor, and the moment her knees touched the ground, she was racing across the room, crawling at a faster rate than Aaron had ever seen her crawl before. She seemed intent on showing off, and when she reached the other side of the room, she stood, holding her cot for support, and turned to them as though waiting a reaction.

Aaron and Hercules did not disappoint. They cheered immediately, loud whoops and clapping until Theo was laughing again.

“That’s our daughter,” Hercules proclaimed proudly. Theo babbled again, sitting down to play with a stray toy brick that had been forgotten in the clean-up. Aaron watched her as she threw it across the room, shrieking in delight at the sound it made when clattering against the wooden cabinet. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hercules turn towards him, and when he looked, his face was soft and his eyes warm. “Hey.”

“Yeah?” Aaron asked, confused by the sudden change in atmosphere.

“That’s our _daughter,”_ Hercules said again. He sounded so amazed by his own luck that Aaron couldn’t help but lean in to kiss him soundly on the lips.

“That’s our daughter,” he agreed.

And for now, everything was fine.


	6. Two For Joy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only one chapter left!! this one was pretty happy but the next one is "one for sorrow" soooooooo have fun ??

Theo was now three years old, and was tottering along confidently as she chattered away to her parents. Hercules and Aaron, walking on either side of her, indulged her monologue with gasps and hums in the appropriate spaces, urging her to finish even when she got distracted by how pretty the sky was. Hearing her talk about her day was one of the things that brightened their day, and Theo was all too willing to tell them about the squirrel she had  _ almost  _ caught that morning.

They were walking through the park, as the sky slowly reddened. It was gorgeous, frankly. Hercules loved looking at the sun, and especially the different shades that would streak across the sky. It was pretty common for him to pause to take pictures of the sky whenever he witnessed a sunset, and often bombarded Aaron with photos every night. Now, the sky was still mostly blue, but to their left, it gradually transformed into a pale, pastel pink, soft streaks that looked like they were painted by the hand of God himself. Hercules could barely take his eyes off the beauty, and when he  _ did  _ manage to rip his gaze away from the gorgeous colours, he would find Aaron, just as gorgeous, smiling at him affectionately.

“Squirrel!” Theo shrieked, though her juvenile tongue struggled to form the syllables and slurred the word. Hercules looked in the direction her pudgy finger was pointing in, and saw an unsuspecting squirrel, burying busily through the piles of crisp, golden leaves. Theo looked first to Aaron for permission, eyes wide with hope and innocence. It only took a glance around the mostly empty park and an exchanged glance with Hercules for Aaron’s face to twist into a fond smile. He was always reluctant to let her roam too far away from him, all too aware that she could easily slip a bottle cap or a leaf into her mouth without their noticing. 

“Go ahead, sweetheart,” Aaron said finally, and this was all Theo needed to hear before she speeded off as fast as her short legs would carry her, jubilant shrieks ringing through the park as she made her way to the leaves. Hercules took Aaron’s hand in his own and led him closer, knowing that he would not be able to relax unless he was nearby her as she played. 

The squirrel, of course, was alerted by Theo’s yells and running steps, and scuttled up the nearest tree - one of the few that had not lost its leaves - in mere seconds. Theo did not show any disappointment, but instead gasped in awe when the small, furry body disappeared amongst the seemingly endless canopy of green above her. Her attention was soon drawn away from the animal, and to the leaves she had waded through to reach the squirrel.

“She wouldn’t try to eat a leaf, would she?” Aaron murmured, brow furrowed as he watched Theo kneel down to dig her small hands into the piles of leaves and scatter them about her, watching them fall with child-like fascination.

“I think she’s past that stage,” Hercules mused. Aaron still looked concerned, however, so Hercules wrapped an arm around his waist and used his other hand to trail a finger over his husband’s forehead, smoothing out the creases there. They didn’t say anything - they didn’t need to - but Hercules could feel the tension slowly drain out of Aaron’s body. 

The sky had grown darker, and the soft pinks had disappeared to make way for vibrant oranges, like a raging fire suspended mid-air and burning everything below. It was even more beautiful than before, and Hercules couldn’t resist snapping a picture. He heard Aaron snort next to him, and turned to see an exasperated but fond expression. 

“Another one second snap?” Aaron teased. Hercules had made one of his snaps a second long on Snapchat once, but ever since then kept forgetting to change it to a higher number of seconds. This meant that every snap he sent to Aaron was barely seen, and despite the constant joking about it, Hercules  _ still  _ didn’t find the time to change it. 

“Quit it,” Hercules said with a mock-pout. Aaron only laughed, and pressed a swift kiss against his cheek. 

Theo was now sitting in the midst of the leaves, no doubt dirtying the dress they had only bought her last week. Hercules couldn’t find it in himself to care, especially not when she looked so content, examining the vibrant colours with an intensity that was rarely seen on the face of a three year old. 

In that moment, it felt like Hercules had everything in life: a beautiful husband, a perfect daughter, a nice house, a stable job he loved. He wished he could go back in time and pat his past self on the back, and tell him that all his work would be worth it. This had always been his dream, ever since he was young. When everyone had been kids, and wanted to travel the world and go to space and be the President, he had always yearned for a quiet, content life without stress or pressure. 

(He had also wanted to be a footballer, but that was a story for another day.)

He was startled out of his thoughts by an elbow digging into his side sharply. Hercules looked at Aaron, surprised, only to see that he was staring intently at a bird only a few feet away. There didn’t seem anything off about the bird - it was pecking at the ground, probably feeding on some crumbs that had been left over by others that had followed their trail. 

“It’s a magpie,” Aaron hissed. This, unsurprisingly, did not clear up Hercules’ confusion.

“So? There are loads of them around here.” 

“I know, but it’s  _ one  _ magpie.” 

Hercules didn’t understand any better, and this must have shown on his face, as Aaron elbowed him again and said, “You have to wave.” 

“Why do I need to wave at a  _ bird?”  _

“You’ll get bad luck,” was Aaron’s serious response. “There’s this superstition, it goes ‘one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, fivefor silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told’. Each number of magpies you see tells you what’s going to happen, or what  _ is  _ happening. So if you see only one magpie, you have to wave at it so that the sorrow passes over you.” 

“I didn’t take you for one to believe in superstitions,” Hercules said, partly teasing and partly serious. Aaron had always been the more sensible one of the two - he’d never cross his fingers for luck or blow on a dice before rolling it. To hear him so reverently indulge in this superstition was strange, to say the least. 

“I don't  _ believe  _ in it,” Aaron protested immediately. “I'm not  _ that  _ stupid, I know it's not real. But it's habit, you know?”

“Sure,” Hercules teased, revelling in Aaron's increasingly indignant face. “Don't worry, I'll wave at your little magpie.”

“You're a dick,” Aaron sighed, but Hercules could see the corner of his lip twitching as though fighting the urge to smile. Both of them raised a hand - with Hercules feeling rather silly as he did so - and waved slowly at the lone magpie, which didn't spare them a glance but continued to hop through the grass. Their hands lowered again, and strangely enough, Hercules felt some sort of relief that he had waved. He didn't believe the superstition was  _ real,  _ per se, but at least there was no chance of sorrow befalling him just because he was too proud to wave at an animal. Strange, but Hercules had never really believed in superstition either. 

He thought that was the end of it, but then Aaron said, so quietly that Hercules almost missed it, “Good morning, Mr Magpie.”

“Is  _ that  _ part of the superstition too?” Hercules asked, feeling somewhat sceptical. He could handle waving, but talking to an animal was where he drew the line. Aaron huffed next to him. 

“You don't have to do it, just don't blame me when you're three million dollars in debt and lose your job.”

Before Hercules could respond, another magpie joined the first, this one larger. They didn't interact, only began to peck the ground together, but Hercules got the distant feeling that they were mates, or maybe close friends. Did birds even make friends with other birds? What did they do, share crumbs like they were a family-sized pack of Maltesers? It seemed strange to apply human ideas of friendship to birds that were so different in behaviour. 

“Two magpies mean joy,” Aaron reminded him. “Which fits, I guess, since I'm pretty happy right now.”

Hercules pushed the birds out of his mind and wrapped a arm tight around Aaron's body, tugging him into a hug that he went into willingly. Aaron rarely spoke about his own feelings, and it was something they were still working on in their relationship, but knowing that Aaron was happy brought such an intense feeling of joy that Hercules couldn't help but swiftly kiss him. He had his husband and his daughter, and he didn't need some silly superstition to tell him he'd be happy. 

“I thought you said you didn't believe in the superstition?” Hercules asked, only somewhat teasing. He was genuinely baffled by Aaron's continuity to mention the birds and their so-called meanings.

“I don't,” Aaron said, voice muffled by the fabric of Hercules' shirt after burying his face into his chest. “But my sister used to, and I miss her. So…” he trailed off, pulling away from Hercules and shrugging awkwardly. He wouldn't meet Hercules' gaze, and instead stared fixedly at where Theo was fiddling with her zip with a fascination that one would expect to find whilst staring at a more complicated contraception than an everyday zipper.

“Thank you for telling me,” Hercules said quietly. 

Aaron turned to Hercules and his smile was so beautiful that the breath was knocked out of Hercules' lungs.

“You're welcome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr is [hhhercules-mulligan](http://www.hhhercules-mulligan.tumblr.com), and i just started an insta, so follow me on dreamers_and_schemers


	7. One for Sorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the dreaded chapter i've been avoiding for centuries. i'm sorry. 
> 
> hercules stopped using his nickname ('herc') once they died, so everyone calls him hercules after the death. because i like to make things even more painful ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

It was autumn again. Hercules felt like time was whizzing past him as he remained dazed, still stuck in the events of the past. How was it autumn again?

More importantly, how could he enjoy the beauty of crisp, golden leaves fluttering to the floor when there was no one to enjoy it with?

Theo loved the autumn. She would always drag her parents to the park as fall began, and would watch with childish awe as the leaves fell. Often, she tried to catch them as they made their slow descent. She said that the leaves were sad because they were leaving their mother, so she would make them happy by playing with them. Her simplistic view of life was refreshing, and he often found himself playing along, catching the leaves just before they hit the ground then laughing as Theo spoke to them as thought they were sentient beings. 

Aaron loved the autumn too. He wouldn't catch leaves nor invent backstories for every single one that fell, but he loved it nonetheless. Said it looked like a painting. Often, he would sit on a bench some way away, watching fondly as Hercules and Theo played, sketching their frames on paper. Sometimes he would draw the picturesque beauty of the park when the trees were almost bare but clinging to their last few leaves, but he used to always say that Theo and Hercules were more beautiful.

Aaron and Theo were dead.

It had been almost a year since they had… Left. The months passed in a blur, and sometimes Hercules would wake up in the morning and wonder why the house was so quiet, wonder why he couldn't hear Aaron cluttering away in the kitchen or Theo's joyful laugh ringing through the walls of their home. And then he'd remember, the memories of the incident crashing back as forcefully as their car had driven into lamppost that fateful day. 

Now they were gone, and sometimes Hercules couldn't bring himself to even think of their faces. It hurt too much, because memories of their smiles were being replaced with how they had looked after the incident. The image of Aaron's lifeless face staring blankly ahead was going to haunt Hercules until his dying days.

Now they were gone, and Hercules couldn't even think of the house as 'home' anymore. Because was it  _ really  _ home if they weren't there too? It was too empty, too quiet; the sound of a pin drop echoed until Hercules felt like running away, far far far away from this house full of memories.

Now they were gone, and Hercules didn't know what to do with himself. 

He trodded down the familiar path, his feet making rhythmic noises that he tried to focus on, instead of thinking about how Aaron's blood had shone in the light.  His messenger bag slapped against his thight with every step. It was almost completely empty, apart from a single sketchbook that had belonged to his beloved husband. 

The first page was all three of them standing in front of one of the trees in the park. There was one tree that all three of them were particularly attached to. Hercules had written all of their initials at the bark, and from then on, they would always have picnics under that spot, comfortable in the knowledge that no matter how much life fluctuates between the good times and the bad times, this tree would forever remain theirs.

He was standing in front of the tree now. He couldn't remember getting there, but that wasn't wholly surprising: he had grown used to getting so lost in his thoughts that he often found himself at his destination far sooner than expected. He brushed it off, and instead stared up at the tree. It seemed even larger than normal. Hercules was hit with the sudden thought that he would never get to see Theo as anything older than a toddler, would never get to hear her say a full sentence coherently or tell her off for staying out too late or see her date someone for the first time… 

There was a bird in a tree. Hercules could hear it trilling merrily amongst the canopy of leaves. He craned his neck to catch a look - it was a single magpie. 

“There’s this superstition,” Aaron’s phantom voice said, sounding as though he were mere inches away from Hercules, but also centuries and light years away. It tugged at Hercules’ heart to feel as though he was so nearby when he wasn’t. “It goes, ‘one for sorrow, two for joy-” Hercules smiled fondly, remembering all the happy moments he had shared with his husband and daughter…

“Three for a girl,” sweet, sweet, Theo, so happy and pure, so impressed by the world, she had so much to live for… 

“Four for a boy,” his mind conjured Aaron’s bright smile, sweeter than sugar and brighter than the sun…

“Five for silver,” Hercules now wore the beautiful silver bracelet he had gotten Aaron for their second anniversary. It glimmered in the light like tears… 

“Six for gold,” He wore his wedding ring too, always afraid that he would somehow forget the love of his life if he took it off for too long… 

“Seven for a secret never to be told.” 

Hercules had been planning for months, using all sorts of connections and pulling every string possible. Finally, he had shown the owner of a great gallery some of Aaron’s work, and the man had agreed. He would place it, centerplace, at his own gallery, and would pay Aaron a hefty fee. Hercules had been so, so,  _ so  _ excited, had spent so long keeping hushed up secrets and meeting people in order to make it happen.

Hercules didn’t even get to tell Aaron before he died.

“If you see only one magpie, you have to wave at it so that the sorrow passes over you…” 

Hercules chuckled sadly. Maybe Aaron had been right. Maybe the stupid superstition had caused this. Maybe it could have all been prevented if Hercules had waved at a dumb bird and said ‘good morning’. He remembered that one walk in the park - incidentally, their last walk together through that familiar path - where he had refused to say ‘good morning’ to the magpie. He had felt like an idiot at the time. To think that had been his biggest worry back then… Life seemed so much easier when Aaron and Theo were by his side. 

Hercules lifted a hand and waved. “Good morning, Mr Magpie.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're finished!! i'm sorry i'm writing less frequently, i'm really stressed with exams coming up and i'm also a lazy piece of shit so 
> 
> pls pls pls leave a comment and drop some kudos, and also thank you for sticking with me when i'm a lazy ass piece of shit who doesn't get anything done


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